Will Nebraska Split Its Electoral Votes?

Obama Hopes to Turn Historically Red State Purple

Cornhusker football fans paint Nebraska solidly red during the fall months, and so the state typically goes in presidential elections -- it has given all of its electoral votes to
Republican candidates since 1964.

(ABC News Photo Illustration)

But Nebraska is one of two states that can split its electoral votes (Maine is the other), so Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's camp has set up shop in Omaha, the state's largest city, in an effort to wrestle one or more of the five electoral votes away from the GOP.

ABC News' assessment of the state puts it in the "leaning Republican" column, but Obama hopes to tip the scales and turn this red state just a bit purple.

Nebraska's other U.S. Senator, the outgoing Republican Chuck Hagel, is known as a maverick because of his willingness to break with his party on the war in Iraq and other key issues, drawing many comparisons to Republican presidential nominee John McCain, R-Ariz. But Hagel hasn't endorsed either candidate, and his name was even tossed out as a long shot choice to share a ticket with Obama.

Will history repeat itself with all of the Cornhusker State's votes on the board for McCain? Or will Obama throw a Hail Mary for an upset this political season? Stay tuned as ABC News delivers the highlights this fall.